Burial casket construction



Sept. 10, 1935. R FD STAACK 2,014,361

BURIAL GASKET CONSTRUCTION Filed March 6, 1955 Patented Sept. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

The invention relates to the design and fabrication of burial caskets constructed of wood and the like, and relates more particularly to the manner and arrangement of connecting and asl sociating the side and end walls of the casket.

An object of the invention is to provide a connection for the side and end walls of the casket, which will insure an eiiective securing of such parts together and at the same time will aiiord 10 greater aesthetic qualities for the external appearance of the casket without adding to the cost of construction of the casket.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction of the character described, which lends itself to the creation of many different designs of caskets.

A further object of the invention is to provide an insert member between the end and side walls of the casket, which arranges for both a direct and indirect connection of said walls so as to simultaneously afford the structural advantages of the one type of connection and the aesthetic advantages of the other form of connection.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

Figure 1 is an end view of a burial casket constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of one end of the casket with the cover omitted.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the casket taken yon the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, taken on the lined- 4 of Figure 3.

vFigures 5, 6 and 7 are viewsA corresponding to Figures 1, 2 and 3 respectively but showing a somewhat modied construction.

As disclosed in the embodiment of the invention first referred to, the casket 2 comprises side walls 0 3, end walls 4--only one of which is here shown,

and a bottom wall 5. Each of the walls is preferably constructed of wooden boards I with their adjoining edges inter-engaged through tongue and groove formation. In the drawing the cas- 5 ket is shown provided with a cover 8, but such cover comprises no part of the novel subject matter of the present case.

Usually in the construction of caskets, the side and end Walls are connected by sections or inserts which form beveled corners for the casket. Here- J5- tofore these sections have invariably been made of quadrangular form and insertedy between the walls so as to completely separate the adjacent ends of the walls. Such a construction permits connecting the side and end walls'only indirectly, 10:

and obviously when the parts are fastened together, the structure presents less rigidity than where the walls are secured together in rightangular relation and with the edges of a side Wall abutting directly againstthe edge of the adjoin- 1.5:

tation of the casket' to relieve such appearance. 2O

In accordance, however, with my invention, the insertable section is of such form and -so arranged for positioning between the side and end walls, that in one and the same construction, said walls may be directly connected at` the corners 25 of the casket, and atthe same time such corners will have the desired bevel.

In carrying out my invention, Iv do not eliminate the use of an insert section, but I employ a section 9 which is in the form of a triangle 30 rather than a quadrangle, and I so position the section between the edges of the adjacent walls, that at least at one point vsaid edges may abut whereby such walls may be directly and securely fastened together thereat. It should be here 35 noted that while I prefer, for the sake of simplicity, to use a triangular shaped section for the corner, it should be understood that other shapes of sections may be used so long as they may be inserted between the walls with at least 40 a portion of the latter in substantial engagement. In this connection, it can be seen that even `a four-sided section may be used.

It will be understood that the adjacent edges of the walls are cut to exactly accommodate the section to be inserted, and as will be seen from the drawing illustrating the embodiment being described, the section 9 is positioned with one corner il! lowermost and with the side I2 opposite thereof flush with and forming a continuation of the upper edge i 3 of the side and end walls. Also in this embodiment, the corner I0 of the section terminates short of the lower edge I4 of the walls so that a considerable portion of the edges of the walls may be in abutting relation. This arrangement not only permits a more rigid structure, but makes easy the application of a base mold all around the casket without the use of separate inserts for the corners.

The insert section may be secured in position by the usual clampmails I5 or other fastening means, nails being utilized at each corner of the section for securing the section to the walls, and nails being used` adjacent the bottom of the walls for securing these walls directly together. Desirably a top mold l1 is applied around the exterior of the casket along the upper edge thereof, and as will be clear from Figures 2 and 4, a iiller piece I8 is preferably inserted between the section and the portion of mold overlying same, in order that such mold portion may be readily secured to the section in registering relation with the portions of the mold covering the side and end walls.

It will now be evident that the casket formed in accordance with my invention will have practically the same sturdiness as one formed with square corners, yet at the same time, as will be clear from Figure 1, it aords the casket an inherent design both digniiied and conducive to ready elaboration if desired. It will also be seen that with the embodiment of the invention above described, there may be used with the casket a type or design of cover having beveled corners 2|, such as are adapted for use with the full beveled corner casket previously referred to.

In Figures 4 to 7 inclusive, I have shown a form of the invention which may in one sense be considered a counterpart of the form of the invention rst described. As here shown, the triangular form of the corner section 23 is still employed, but is arranged so that the corner 24 thereof meeting the abutting edges of the side and end walls, is uppermost and is preferably extended to the top edge of the casket. The section 23 is in this form of the invention made coextensive vertically with the side and end walls so that the section side 26 opposite the corner 24 rests directly upon the bottom wall 2'! of the casket. In this construction it will thus be evident the direct connection of the side and end walls is effected at the top of the casket, while indirect connection of such walls is afforded at the bottom through the intervention of the insert 23.

I claim:

l. In a burial casket, separate side and end walls having their adjacent edges connected and abutting at a point to form a substantially square corner for the walls thereat, said edges being spaced at other points, and a wall section fitting in the space between said edges and forming thereat a beveled corner for said walls.

2. In a burial casket, separate side and end walls having their adjacent edges abutting at one portion and spaced at the remaining portion, a wall section fitting in the space dened between said edges and forming for said walls a beveled corner, thereat, means directly connecting together the abutting portions of the side and end walls, and means connecting together said section with each of said walls.

3. In a burial casket, a bottom member, separate side and end walls secured to said member having their adjacent edges in substantially abutting relation at said member to form a substantially square corner for said walls thereat 5 and the remaining portion of said edges spaced to define a space, and a wall section iitting in said space and extending to the upper edge of said walls to provide a beveled corner for said walls. 10

4. In a burial casket, a bottom member, side and end walls secured thereto and extending upwardly therefrom and having their adjacent side edges spaced from each other at the upper portion and in abutment at the lower portion to de- 15 ne thereat a substantially square corner for said walls, a triangular wall section iitting in the space between said side edges to provide a beveled corner for said walls increasing in magnitude from said abutting portion to the top of 20 said walls, and a base mold for said walls providing a substantially square corner at the abutting portions of said walls.

5. In a burial casket, a bottom member, side and end walls secured thereto and extending up- 25 wardly therefrom and having adjacent side edges spaced from each other at the upper portion and in abutment at the lower portion to define thereat a substantially square corner for said walls, a triangular wall section iitting in the space be- 30 tween said side edges to provide a beveled corner for said walls increasing in magnitude from said abutting portion to the tcp of said walls, means securing directly together the walls at the abutting portion, means securing said sec- 35 tion to each of said walls, a base mold for said walls providing a substantially square corner at the abutting portion thereof, a top mold for said walls, a corresponding mold for said section regn istering with the top mold on the walls, and a 40 nller interposed between said section and the top mold portion thereover.

6. In a burial casket, a bottom member, side and end walls in substantially right angular relation to each other extending upwardly from i5v said member and having their side edges in substantially abutting relation at the top of the walls and in spaced relation at the lower portion,

a wall section iitting in said space forming a beveled corner for said walls thereat, means securing said walls together at the abutting portion, and means securing said section to said walls and member at the spaced portion.

'1. In a burial casket, a bottom member, side and end walls in substantially right angular relation to each other extending upwardly from said member and having their side edges in substantially abutting relation at the top and in spaced downwardly diverging relation for the remaining portion to thereby dene with said bottom member a triangular space and a triangular wall section tting in said space to provide a beveled corner for said walls of increasing magnitude from the abutting edges to said meinber.

RAYMOND F. STAACK. y 

